Heads of post

Donald Leblanc assumed the duties of Québec Government Representative in Atlanta on November 27, 2017. He had previously headed the United States Division at the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie (MRIF) since 2015.
 
He embarked on his career at the MRIF in 1990 as a trade policy advisor during the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations. He subsequently held a number of positions linked to bilateral relations, including in the France, United States and Asia-Pacific Divisions.
 
During that period, he took time away from his work in bilateral relations to participate in the international program at the École nationale d’administration (ENA – national school of administration) in France, in addition to holding the position of general advisor at the Québec Government Office in Boston (United States) a few years later.
 
In 2011, Mr. Leblanc was appointed Director of International Solidarity – Haiti and Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2013, he became director of the Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean Division prior to heading the United States Division in 2015.
 
Mr. Leblanc holds a B.A. in international relations and economics from the Université de Montréal and two undergraduate certificates: one in administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal and the other in public relations from the Université de Montréal. He also holds a graduate diploma in public administration (ENA).

Marie-Claude Francoeur was appointed the Québec Government Delegate in Boston in May 2014. This is her second term in Boston.

Ms. Francoeur formerly served as the Assistant Deputy Minister for Policies, Multilateral and Francophone Affairs and as Acting Chief of Protocol, from 2011 to 2012, at the Québec Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie.

Ms. Francoeur was also Chief of Staff for the Québec Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Labour. Throughout her career, Ms. Francoeur has worked to shape and promote Québec’s policies on climate change, labor, transportation, energy and francophonie, both at home and internationally.

Ms. Francoeur holds masters’ degrees in both public administration and international relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in applied sciences from Laval University in Québec and a certificate in advanced management from the McGill Executive Institute. Ms. Francoeur has also completed the Senior Managers in Government program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Martine Hébert took office as Québec delegate in Chicago on July 29, 2019.
 
She is an experienced manager and a recognized communicator, with nearly thirty years in public and government affairs as well as in economic development. This includes serving as Senior Vice-President and National Spokesperson for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, a pan-Canadian organization representing small and medium-sized businesses, from 2010 to 2019.
 
Previously, Martine Hébert also operated her own public and government relations firm for a period of 10 years. During her career, she also occupied a number of political positions within the Government of Québec, and has been an administrator, co-chair and member of various government committees such as la Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, le Comité-conseil sur l’allègement réglementaire et administratif du Québec and la Commission des partenaires du marché du travail.
 
Martine Hébert holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Economics. In recognition of the for level of excellence and in recognition of her career, she was awarded an honorary degree in 2010 by the Faculty of Arts and Science – Department of Economics at the Université de Montréal.
 
Ms. Hébert has also authored a number of publications related to government relations, such as the book Les secrets du lobbying. She also taught the first course in government relations at Université de Montréal.

Caroline Davoine is the Director of the Québec Government Office in Houston since July 1, 2019. 

Prior to her appointment, she was a manager in the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. From 2010 to 2013, she was Director of the Economic Department at the General Delegation of Québec in Mexico City. For more than 10 years, she also held various coordination and expert positions as an international business advisor, primarily with the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Exportation. She has also worked as an advisor to deputy ministers in the same ministry and in the Ministry of Culture and Communications.

Ms. Davoine has developed her expertise and a vast network of contacts in the fields of economic development, culture, natural resources, foreign trade and international relations with various government clients (businesses, associations, the federal government, foreign governments and citizens). She has a wide range of experience in governance, customer service, project management and strategic consulting.

Trained in business administration and holding a master's degree in international affairs from HEC Montréal, Caroline Davoine also holds a graduate diploma from the École nationale d’administration publique’s short public management program.

​Philippe P. Huneault has been Québec’s delegate in Los Angeles since July 1, 2019.

He was previously chief Officer for the representative office in Canada of B&C Plc (Bank and Clients), a London-based bank.

A manager, entrepreneur and seasoned administrator, Mr. Huneault boasts nearly 30 years of experience in public and private corporate financing, business development and innovation.

From 1996 to 2004, he held several positions, including Vice-president, Strategic Opportunities, at Telesystem International Wireless (TIW), a leader in the field of cellular operators in Central and Eastern Europe.

In 2006, he co-founded Echo Capital, a private investment fund manager that supports the development of small and medium-sized businesses. He served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the company. He was also a Managing Partner at Mayfair Strategic Consulting, a firm specialized in providing strategic consulting services for tech companies as well as for municipalities to implement digital strategies and develop Smart City initiatives. In this capacity, he participated in the feasibility analyses of Montreal Digital Metropolis and Gatineau Intelligent et Numérique.

In late 2007, Mr. Huneault was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Medical Intelligence Technologies, a publicly listed company that provides mobile teleassistance solutions for the health and safety sectors.
Before joining TIW, he held management positions at a number of companies, including Cantel, Ericsson, Telezone, Vidéotron, YRH and Bell Canada International.

He has served on a number of boards of directors, including those of Montréal’s Quartier de l’innovation and the Cancer Research Society. He is also a founding member of Capital Intelligent Mtl.

Philippe P. Huneault holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a certificate in technological innovation from École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Stéphanie Allard-Gomez took up her duties as Québec Delegate General in Mexico on September 25, 2017. A career diplomat, she has nearly 25 years of experience in international business development, including 12 years in Europe and Latin America.
 
An economist by training, Ms. Allard-Gomez has served, among other positions, as Canada’s Ambassador to El Salvador (2006-2008), policy advisor and coordinator of Canada’s participation in the 2006 G8 Summit in Russia, consul and senior trade delegate in Milan (2002-2004) and business advisor and chargé d’affaires in Colombia (1999-2002). She also served as Director, Trade Relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa from 2008 to 2009. In 2009, she was appointed Vice President, International Organizations, at Montréal International, then joined the Tourisme Montréal team in February 2017 as Associate Vice President, Convention Sales and Services.
 
Ms. Allard-Gomez is originally from Montréal. She speaks French, English, Spanish, Italian and Russian.

Catherine Loubier was appointed Delegate General of Québec in New York on February 6, 2019.
Since October 2018 she had been serving as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Québec Premier’s Office, where
she led the transition of the new government.

From 2016 to 2018, Ms. Loubier served as General Manager in the Office of the President, then Alliance
Communication Global Director for Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, which is based in Paris and employs
nearly 475,000 people in 200 countries.

Previously, she acted as Senior Advisor to Canada’s 22^nd Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, from 2013
to 2015. Her mandate was to advise the Prime Minister of Canada on relations with Québec and to
conduct negotiations with the Government of Québec, other levels of government, associations and
the private sector, notably during negotiations surrounding the Comprehensive Economic and Trade
Agreement between Canada and the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement
for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Between 2006 and 2011, Ms. Loubier acted as Director of Communications then Deputy Chief of Staff
to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and the Minister responsible for Canada
Economic Development for Québec Regions. As part of her duties, she managed government funding for
major projects in Québec as well as dossiers related to the economy, the private sector, transportation,
infrastructure and the maritime industry.

Ms. Loubier worked as Director of Communications in the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in
Ottawa from 2008 to 2010. She was also involved in the official visits team of the Prime Minister of
Canada, notably for the APEC Summit (Vietnam), the G8 Summit (Russia) and the Francophonie Summit
(Romania) as well as for bilateral meetings, including those with the President of the United States.

Between 1996 and 2006, Ms. Loubier held various key positions in the private sector advising business
leaders in the financial, energy, charitable, infrastructure and entertainment sectors. Some of the
organizations and companies she worked for include Superior Propane (Calgary), Hill Knowlton Canada,
Cavalia, One Drop, the International Financial Centre Montréal and Groupe Vaugeois, which helped
attract Ubisoft to Montréal and create Cité du Multimédia.

Catherine Loubier holds a BA and a Master’s in Political Science from Université du Québec à Montréal.

Johanne Desnoyers has worked at the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie for over 25 years. She was appointed Director of the Québec Government Office in Havana in August 2018. Among her past appointments, Ms. Desnoyers served as interim Delegate General of the Québec Government Office in Mexico, Head of the Benelux Desk and Advisor to La Francophonie, where she contributed to the success of La Francophonie Summits in Beirut, Ouagadougou and Bucharest. More recently, she has acted as Senior Advisor to the Québec Government Office in Mexico and Head of the Mexico Desk in the Latin America and Antilles Department. Her experience in the Latin American territory and her professionalism make her the choice candidate for the official post of Director of the Québec Government Office in Havana.
 
Johanne Desnoyers has a master’s degree in history (honours) from Université Laval as well as a bachelor’s degree in history.

Thais Aun was appointed Acting Director of the Québec Government Office in São Paulo in September 2015 where she has been serving as Economic Attachée since 2014.

Prior to that, she has held a number of positions both in Brazil and Canada, including the Consulate General of Canada in São Paulo, the Canadian Education Center in São Paulo and Niagara College Canada.

Ms. Aun graduated in Public Relations and Business Administration - Marketing from Niagara College in Ontario, Canada.

Pierre-Luc Desgagné has been Québec’s Delegate General in Brussels since June 17, 2019. He was previously a partner in the Business Law group at Langlois lawyers and a member of its Board of Directors.
 
Over the course of his career, Mr. Desgagné has held several management positions in Hydro-Québec’s senior management, including the position of Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, and Corporate Secretary. Prior to that, he was Deputy Chief of Staff to Québec Premier Lucien Bouchard.
 
With diverse experience in business, government and politics, Mr. Desgagné has recognized expertise in government affairs, public affairs and crisis management. He also has extensive knowledge in project development and social acceptability.
 
Until his appointment, Mr. Desgagné was Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the LOJIQ Foundation and a member of the Boards of Directors of Québec Cinéma, the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec and Pro Bono Québec.
 
Pierre-Luc Desgagné holds a Bachelor of Laws from Laval University and is a member of the Québec Bar.

Pierre Gabriel Côté has been appointed Agent General of the Québec Government Office in London on July 27, 2019. Holder of a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Laval University, he is a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. Since 2009, he has also held an ICD.D (Institute of Corporate Directors, Director) designation, obtained from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.
 
Throughout his career, Pierre Gabriel Côté has held numerous management positions. He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lantic Sugar Ltd. from 2001 to 2005, President of Bombardier Aerospace (Business Aircraft Division) from 2006 to 2008 and President and Chief Executive Officer of Fibrek Inc. from 2008 to 2012. In December 2014, he was appointed President and CEO of Investissement Québec, a position he held until July 2019.
 
Concurrently with his duties, Mr. Côté has sat on the boards of directors of D-Box, the Centre de commercialisation en innovation manufacturière and La Maison Michel-Sarrazin (end-of-life center for cancer patients). He has also contributed to several charitable fundraising campaigns as a promoter and a cyclist (Le Grand défi Pierre-Lavoie and Le tour Charles-Bruneau).

 

Elisa Valentin took office as Delegate General of Québec in Munich on June 1^st, 2020. She was previously Director of Europe and European Institutions of the Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie since 2016. 

Proficient in six languages ​​and with a significant professional background focused on international and economic aspects, she has been developing her career within the Ministry from the end of 2006, where she worked as Director for Asia-Pacific, Director for Latin America and Antilles as well as the head of Haiti and Germany / Switzerland / Austria desks, among other positions. 

Before joining the Government of Québec, she worked as an economic analyst at the Department of Human Resources Development Canada in Ottawa and, later, in the field of financial communication and sustainable development at Publicis Consultants in Paris. 

Elisa Valentin holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and International Law (specialization in international economic relations - Gorizia, Italy, 1998) and a Master's degree in International Relations (specialization in international development - Laval University, Quebec, 2006). In 2019, she participated as the representative of Québec in the Europe module of the 26^th "Lehrgang für Verwaltungsführung", a formation of the Chancellery of the State of Bavaria. 

Michèle Boisvert has been Québec's Delegate General in Paris since May 13, 2019.

Previously, she was Executive Vice-President of Business Development at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, where she was also Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications from 2012 to 2015. During her most recent mandate, she was responsible for all entrepreneurial initiatives and ensured the Caisse's presence in all regions of Québec, supporting investment teams. Ms. Boisvert was also an associate professor at HEC Montréal.

An economist by training, Michèle Boisvert has had a prolific career in journalism for nearly 30 years, first at Radio-Canada as an economic journalist from 1982 to 2002, then at La Presse, where she covered economic news as a reporter and columnist. In January 2007, she became director of the newspaper's Business section. In addition to her duties at La Presse, Ms. Boisvert held a daily economic segment on the Radio-Canada radio for seven years.

Until her appointment as Delegate General, Michèle Boisvert was President of the Fondation de la Place des Arts and the Fondation du Centre Jacques-Cartier, and vice-chairwoman of the board of the University of Montréal. She also sits on the boards of directors of the McGill University Health Centre Foundation, the Montréal Council on Foreign relations, the Concours musical international de Montréal, the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship and ENCQOR.

Michèle Boisvert has received many awards over the course of her career, including the title of Woman of Distinction in Communication of the YMCA for 2009, which recognizes women who, through their commitment and achievements, have had a positive and lasting influence on society.

In 2018, she received the honorary title of Chevalière de l'Ordre national du Québec.

In January 2017, Marianna Simeone was appointed Québec delegate in Rome. 
 
An accomplished journalist, host, and columnist on television and radio, she began her career in international trade.
 
For 14 years Marianna was head of the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Montréal. Under her leadership, the organization became the largest of the eight accredited Italian chambers of commerce in North America.  Marianna opened the Vancouver and Québec City offices, was the driving force behind the creation of the NAFTA board of Italian chambers of commerce, and founded a business development office in Milan in partnership with the Government of Québec.  
 
From the business world, Marianna moved into the news and media, where for over 12 years she was a host and columnist on television and radio for leading English and French networks in Montréal, including CBC News and Radio-Canada. A trilingual journalist, she also hosted her own news show in Italian for Canwest Media.
 
To put her media experience to work for numerous international organizations in Montréal, Marianna founded MS Média, a communications and public relations firm she headed up for several years before moving into public service.
 
Marianna is a member of the board of directors of Concordia University, Foundation Santa Cabrini, and the Montreal Port Authority. She is also a trustee of the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, for which she sat on the building committee. 
 
A knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and Gladiatore d’Oro of the province of Benevento, Marianna has received numerous journalism awards, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Women of Distinction Award from the Montréal Women’s Y Foundation.

Marly Bah has been Director of the Québec Government Office in Abidjan since July 1, 2019.

Ms. Bah previously worked as an insurance and income support coordinator at La Financière agricole du Québec. She acquired 10 years of experience in financing at the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail.

Ms. Bah also has significant professional experience in Africa, including her work as a finance and compliance officer for AMC, a company that specializes in bauxite ore extraction and mining. In addition, she worked as a controller for CyFrame International Inc., a software development company established in Montreal.

Mary Bah has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal with a concentration in accounting sciences.

Jean-François Lépine is an eminent journalist who is now Director of Québec Government offices in China. Before moving to Shanghai, he was an international analyst, speaker and associate in communication and government affairs at Avistra International Inc.

Until November 2015, he was also chair of the Middle Eastern and North African Observatory (Observatoire sur le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique du Nord/OMAN) at the Université du Québec à Montréal and a member of Montréal International’s Board of Directors. He was a foreign correspondent for CBC/Radio-Canada in Beijing, Paris and Jerusalem from 1982 to 1990 and is recognized as an exceptional analyst and communicator.

From 1990 to 2013, he hosted several popular public affairs television programs on CBC/Radio-Canada, including Enjeux, Le Point, Zone libre and the international magazine Une heure sur terre, which also aired on TV5 Monde.

His outstanding work both as a reporter and TV show host has been recognized by numerous awards. In June 2012, he was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada. That same year, he also received the Raymond Charette Prize awarded by the Québec Superior Council of the French Language.

Francis Paradis has been Director of the Québec Government Office in Mumbai since September 2019.

Mr. Paradis has nearly 15 years’ experience in Québec public service. Previously to his current position, he had held the office of Assistant Deputy Minister for Business Partnerships and Client Services at the Ministère du Tourisme since June 2018. From 2016 to 2018, he ran the Québec Office for the Atlantic Provinces at the Ministère du Conseil exécutif and, from 2011 to 2016, he was Director of Aboriginal Services and Nordic Development at the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche.

Mr. Paradis holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, as well as three master’s degrees: one in Business Administration for Managers from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, one in Public Administration from the École nationale d’administration publique and one in Human Kinetics from Université Laval. He also obtained a certificate in Corporate Governance from Université Laval.

Gabriel Chartier was appointed Director of the Québec Government Office in Honk Kong early in 2019 and took office on 25 June, 2019.

Prior to this nomination, he had been Director of Official Correspondence, Privileges and Immunities at the Québec Government Protocol.

Gabriel Chartier entered Québec’s Public Service in 2000, when he joined the Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie (Ministère des Relations internationals et de la Francophonie), where he held several positions, including Head of Desk for the Andean countries, the West Indies, Mexico and New York.  From December 2013 to June 2017, he was also head of the Ministry’s China Desk and was interim coordinator of Québec’s offices in China from November to December 2015.

He worked at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity from 2011 to 2013 as an advisor on intergovernmental affairs (federal-provincial relations) and was also member of the Board of Directors at the Québec-Americas Office for Youth from 2007 to 2014.

Gabriel Chartier holds two Geography degrees: a honors degree from the University of Ottawa and a master’s degree from Laval University.

Over the past 20 years, René Sylvestre has held several positions in the public and private sectors that have enabled him to acquire extensive experience in finance, business development and project management in an international context. During that time, he served as a consultant for major organisations and a market analyst at a financial institution, in addition to working abroad for an economic development agency. He also held the position of director of finance and general affairs for a division of a European conglomerate.
 
Mr. Sylvestre has extensive knowledge in financial analysis, government relations and market research. His expertise likewise includes in-depth knowledge of economic development at the provincial and municipal levels.
 
Mr. Sylvestre holds an MBA from the National University of Singapore, a B.B.A. with a specialisation in finance from HEC Montréal business school, and a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree with concentrations in economic science and Canadian and Québec politics from the University of Ottawa.

David Brulotte was appointed Delegate General of Québec in Tokyo on June 3, 2019.
 
In June 2018, He was appointed Director for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East for Invest Quebec, the Province of Quebec’s financing corporation and economic development agency. Based in Japan, Mr. Brulotte manages the operations of IQ’s offices in Japan, Korea, China and India and the business development in the wider region. Before his posting in Tokyo, He was based in Paris from 2014 to 2018 as the as the business development director for France, Italy and the BENELUX in IQ’s Paris offices. Prior to his role in Paris, Mr. Brulotte worked as a trade commissioner for over 2 years at the Quebec Government office in London.
 
Before joining the Quebec civil service, he worked in disarmament affairs for the United Nations in Kathmandu, Nepal.
 
Mr. Brulotte speaks French, English and Japanese. He studied in France and Singapore, holds a B.A. in political sciences from Université Laval as well as an M.A. in international studies and diplomacy from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. He has been involved in cultural philanthropy in Quebec and has represented Canada at the Triathlon world championships in 2017 as well as being an Ironman All World Athlete the same year. He received Université Laval Foundation’s Raymond Blais distinction in 2015 and Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellowship in 2018.

Claire Deronzier has been the Delegate for Francophone and Multilateral Affairs since August 5, 2019.

Ms. Deronzier has a degree in communication and holds the title of Certified Corporate Director (ASC). She has extensive experience in government communications and public administration, including strategic consulting. As assistant deputy minister in the Québec government, she headed the development of public policies on diversity management and immigrant integration and oversaw the immigration and mobility component of the Québec-France Agreement on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications. She coordinated land-use development and planning activities for the Montréal metropolitan area and was also in charge of immigration services in Québec and abroad in the competitive context of growing international mobility. She served as the Québec Delegate General in Tokyo from 2013 to 2017 and was President of the Council for the Promotion of La Francophonie in Japan from 2015 to 2017.

Since November 2017, Ms. Deronzier has been serving as gender equality project manager for the Administrator of the International Organization of La Francophonie. In that capacity, she coordinated the work on developing The Francophonie Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality and the Rights and Empowerment of Women and Girls and the creation of an entity dedicated to that issue.

Michel Bonsaint has been the Québec Government representative at the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO since September 17, 2019.  
 
Prior to this appointment, he has held various positions at the Québec National Assembly since November 1989 and served as Secretary General from September 2010 to September 2019.
 
Throughout his career, Mr. Bonsaint has been actively involved in consolidating democratic institutions, by participating in several international cooperation initiatives within the French-speaking world mainly in Africa, but also in Asia and in Haiti. This has required him to work closely with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, Senghor University in Alexandria (Egypt) and the Chair of Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions at Laval University in Québec City (Canada).
 
Also in a democratic institution consolidation perspective, Mr. Bonsaint coordinated the drafting of Québec’s Parliamentary Procedure, which was the province’s first reference work on this issue. He also contributed to the creation of the Chair of Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions at Laval University and from 2005 to 2010 taught a course on how democratic institutions work at Laval University’s Faculty of Law. Mr. Bonsaint has also been a guest speaker at various events on the subject of how Parliaments are managed as well as on their fundamental role in the governance of States.
 
Michel Bonsaint holds a bachelor’s degree in Law and a master’s degree in Public Law.  He is also a member of the Québec Bar.